What Goes Up Must Come Down!
by PullPush
Summary: Koníka, a sixteen year old Elf, finally gets her turn to try to hatch a dragon egg. To her amazement, one does hatch for her, and she begins for Dragon Rider training, albeit a different start than most new Dragon Riders... Rated T for Violence and Suggestive Themes.
1. Dragon Rider! Soon

**TITLE: **What Goes Up Must Come Down

**AUTHOR: **PullPush

**SUMMARY: **Koníka, a sixteen year old Elf, finally gets her turn to try to hatch a dragon egg. To her amazement, one _does _hatch for her, and she begins for Dragon Rider training, albeit a different start than most new Dragon Riders...

**RATING: **T for eventual violence and suggestive themes.

**CHARACTERS*: **Koníka^, Alíks^, [Queen] Arya and Blagden.

*****Characters in _this _chapter.  
^Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Arya** – Ar – ee – yuh

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Ellésmera – **EL-ez-meer-uh

**Alagaësia – **Al –luh – gay – zee – uh

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is longer than I planned, but I decided to add a paraphrased version of the Riders' history near the end as a time fill, thanks for reading! This is the first time I've written third person, so any CC on that is appreciated.**

* * *

Koníka looks her left hand, grimacing. There's a silvery mark on it. _What happened? _She asks herself, letting her hand drop back to the ground and staring at the wooden roof of the tree she was in. There's a warm weight on her stomach, she realises, looking up. There's a tiny black and silver reptile on her stomach, slumbering peacefully. Queen Arya is looking down on her with an interesting look on her face.

"What happened, Arya Drottning?" Koníka asks, speaking in her native tongue, the Ancient Language, which is spoken by all the Elves of Alagaësia.

"It seems that a dragon has hatched for you," She replies, also in the Ancient language. "It looks comfortable there, don't you think?" she asks, gesturing to the creature.

Koníka nods and slides the dragon carefully off of her stomach, afraid to wake it. Then she sits up and examines it more closely. Its scales are so black that they look like the night sky, what with the Erisdar lanterns mounted on the walls, adding light to the otherwise pitch scales. Unlike most dragons, the dragon had another colour, silver. It's under belly and wings were shiny, like the silver band on Queen Arya's head.

Arya watches, then says, "Strange colours, to be sure. For the dragon's safety, I recommend you keep it a secret from the other Elves until it's big enough to look after itself, understand?"

"Yes, Arya Drottning. Do you mind recounting was happened? I do not remember." Koníka says, lifting herself effortlessly from the ground and picking up the dragon cautiously, in case it bites her.

"I will," she says, sitting on her throne. Koníka sees the white raven, Blagden, perched nearby.

"Earlier, you came in, in preparation for your turn with the dragon eggs. Everything was going as per norm, until, after sitting with the eggs for a while, the black egg with white veins shook a little bit. After that, you picked up the egg and sat it in your lap, and poked it. I told you to stop, and you did. Then, this dragon," she gestures to Koníka's dragon again. "Hatched and you touched its forehead, fell unconscious and the dragon went to sleep on you."

"I was the first time I had even seen a dragon sleep on someone, thus my expression earlier." She finishes, and Blagden cries, "Wyrda!" which means 'fate'.

"Oh," Koníka replies, and the now-woken dragon snaps its teeth at her. "What now?" She asks her queen, looking at the black-haired elf woman.

"As I said, keep it hidden. Resume with your weapons and magic training, and don't forget to leave Ellésmera to hunt," she says dismissively, and Koníka leaves, grimacing inwardly about having to continue her lessons with the rest of the young Elves.

Koníka grasps her sword, a thin, long blade for practicing with. It has a protective magic bubble around it, so no one kills anyone else. Another Elf her age, Lífin, walks up to her confidently.

"I am going to beat you," He swears in the Ancient Language, which means that he cannot lie.

Koníka keeps her face calm, and they take their positions and await their signal. "Begin!" shouts their master, Glaen.

Lífin flicks his blade, which is identical to Koníka's at the female elf in front of him. Koníka deflects it and feints a blow at his ribs, instead changing course for his right thigh. Lífin hits it away with deceptive ease, and while Koníka's sword is still moving away, tries to rap it against her shoulder.

Koníka ducks, then turns and swings her blade at his knees, which he jumps backward to avoid. Lífin goes for her head, but she hits the moving sword across to her left, standing upright again in the process. Lífin uses a dirty trick to defeat Koníka, kicking her ankle out and holding his blade to her neck. Koníka does not protest, but instead examines her injured ankle.

Luckily, it only sprained. Any wound inflicted by an Elf could easily be more serious, so Koníka murmurs, "Waíse heill," and stands, waiting for her lecture.

"You did not clam yourself, young one. Your mind and body must be a still pool, and you must not let your emotions affect what you are doing, lest they cause you to act to hastily," he says to Koníka, and then turns to Lífin. "You did well, but you must remember to not mock your own, and while we are in training that tricks like that are not allowed. Both of you may store your swords and go to your gramarye lesson." He dismisses them, leaving Koníka feeling rather abashed, as usual after a combat lesson.

Faeríl sits in her clearing, waiting for her students to arrive. _I'm going to teach them scrying today,_ she thinks happily to herself, striding over to a pool of water that she had set up for her class. Glancing into the flat mirror of water, she sees herself. Her silvery hair hangs over the pool, her hazel eyes staring at herself. _How unnerving, to be staring at oneself. Very unnerving indeed, _she muses.

Sensing her students' arrival she turns around. She sees her prodigy, Koníka, striding at a comfortable pace toward the clearing, her black hair streaming behind her in the gentle wind, her green-brown eyes dancing happily, despite her efforts to keep herself expressionless. _I wonder what happened to make her so joyous. _Faeríl wonders, but doesn't dwell on it. She has more important things to do.

Once the class has assembled, Faeríl says, "Welcome once again, my students! Today we are going to learn the _dream stare_. Or, in the human tongue 'scry'," She explains. Faeríl always throws in some human words to her lessons, to spice it up.

She gestures to the pool behind her, and then to some wooden bowls. "Please, take one bowl, fill it with water, and sit in an orderly line," she says and then waits patiently for her students to complete the request. "As with all magic, you must concentrate on your subject. In today's case, it's the bowl of water," she explains to her class. "Once you are confident that you are ready to try the spell, focus on a person or thing that you wish the stare, then say 'dream stare!'"

Faeríl hears a quiet chorus of 'dream stare!' and smiles to herself. Gramarye is fun, but dangerous, to teach. _That is why I'm here, _she chides herself. _They could do it on their own, they know the words._

She walks along the line of students, peering over their shoulders to check that they have done the spell correctly. If they have not, she gives them a helpful push in the right direction, instead of scolding them; she doesn't approve of Glaen's methods. She reaches Koníka and peers over her shoulder and sees a black and silver speck before the younger elf ends the spell abruptly. "Why did you end the spell?" Faeríl asks, peering at the now plain, reflective bowl of water.

"I cannot answer that, master." Koníka replies stiffly.

"Why not?" Faeríl asks curiously.

"Because I am bound by my word to Arya Drottning." She replies, once again in an uncomfortable tone.

"Fair enough. Stare something less secret next time so I may check your progress." Faeríl says, and continues along the line nonchalantly.

Koníka walks into her lonely tree, and hears her dragon nearly straight away. Maybe that was because the dragon rushes up to her and snaps its teeth over and over, trying to tell the young Rider something.

"Are you hungry?" She asks the scaly beast, and it makes a nodding motion, flapping its unusable wings excitedly.

"I thought so, I saw you in my dream stare pool and you were chewing on the flower." Koníka muses, picking up the animal. "Well, I have to keep you a secret, so... I guess you'll have to sit in my pack while we're in Ellésmera."

Koníka retrieves her woven pack and puts a blanket in there for comfort. "Get in the bag, Scaly." She says with an amused look on her face when the young dragon snaps its teeth at her for calling it 'Scaly'.

"Well, if you don't like it, what is your name?" She asks it, lowering it into the pack and twisting the stone piece that was woven into the simple pack as a latch for keeping it closed. The dragon doesn't answer her, which she doesn't find very odd. _But I DO wonder how long it will take until it think-talks to me... _She thinks, setting out into Du Weldenvarden, The Guarding Forest.

While they walk, Koníka thinks about the Riders' history, as something to take her mind off of how far she will have to walk to avoid getting into trouble about the carcass that will be left after the Dragon's meal.

_The Riders were established after Du Fyrn Skulblaka, the Dragon War, which was caused by a naive young Elf that hunted and killed a dragon, causing the dragons to retaliate. The Elves tried to explain the misunderstanding, and that the Elf had thought the Dragon was just another animal, but they had no way to communicate with the Dragons and the war started properly._

_The war lasted five whole years, during which both races suffered greatly, reducing their populations by hundreds to thousands._

_Then a young Elf by the name of Eragon found an abandoned egg and hatched and raised it, naming it Bid'Daum. Once Bid'Duam had grown to a great enough size, he and Eragon flew around Alagaësia, negotiating with both races, starting on the road to peace._

_After the war, the Dragons and Elves created the Dragon Riders, which flourished for many years. Eventually, humans were added to the pact as well. To commemorate the pact, the Agaetí Blödhren, the Blood-oath Celebration, was celebrated every hundred years._

_But, after some time, the Riders grew cocky, thinking that no one could harm them. A young Rider, Galbatorix, lost his Dragon to a pack of Urgals and asked for a replacement. The Rider Council had refused his request and sent him away, sensing his mind was distorted._

_Galbatorix was enraged, and used another Rider, Morzan, to get steal another Dragon, named Shruikan. Using Shruikan, Galbatorix formed the Forsworn, a group of thirteen Riders that followed him. He used the Forsworn to end the Riders and take over Alagaësia, stealing the only three Dragon eggs believed to exist._

_After nearly a century, someone managed to steal a dragon egg from Galbatorix, and the Varden elects an Elf – Arya Drottningu, at the time – to transport the egg between the Varden and Ellésmera. After over a decade of smooth travel, Durza, a Shade, attacks Arya while she is transporting the egg, but she sends it away with magic before Durza can get it back for Galbatorix._

_The egg goes to Eragon, a farm boy. Eragon and an Ex-Rider, Brom leaves his farm in Carvahall once the Ra'zac burn it down, killing his uncle. Eragon proceeds to save Arya from where she was being held in Gil'lead and join the Varden. Brom died to the Ra'zac on the way there though, but he makes friends with his half-brother, Murtagh, who is forced to join the Empire after being taken by the Twins from the safety of Farthen Dûr._

_Eragon and Saphira, his dragon, is trained by Oromis and Glaedr in Ellésmera as Riders. They later return and have Rhunön make him a Rider's sword. After that, they proceed to capture many towns on the way to Urû'baen, which was and is now called Illirea._

_In Illirea, they defeated Galbatorix and left Alagaësia, leaving some dragon eggs behind with Arya Drottning. The Dragon Riders now live and are trained on an island, coming only when needed, but never Eragon or Saphira. It has been about eighty years since then._

It had been disgusting to watch the Dragon hunt, but Koníka had stood and waited for the Dragon to eat its fill, before returning to Ellésmera and going to bed, instead of doing her language studies.

* * *

**A/N: Again, thanks for reading. If you found/find anything wrong with my third person [Like saying I or Us in a setence that is NOT a thought] Please let me know so I can fix it! Review, please and thanks. I spent a while coming up with names that matched the series. It's really annoying to have to write 'í' all the time! That's all, again, point out my mistakes, because I'm sure there's plenty!**


	2. Alíks!

**CHARACTERS*: **Koníka^, Alíks^, Arya, Fírnen, Minor Elves^,

*****Characters in _this _chapter.  
^Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONOUCIATION**

**Arya** – Ar – ee – yuh

**Fírnen **– FEER - nen

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Ellésmera – **EL-ez-meer-uh

**Alagaësia – **Al –luh – gay – zee – uh

* * *

**A/N: Hello! I realised that I'd left a spoiler to the Dragon's name in the last chapter, but I'm not taking it down! Mwahaha! My chapters always end up longer than I plan them...**

* * *

Koníka laughs, a musical, lilting sound similar to no Human, Urgal, or Dwarf. _It is great that you are speaking with me, but what is your name? _She asks her Dragon, which has made the connection between their minds.

_I have not a name yet, Koníka, I will take suggestions, _says the Dragon. Koníka cannot tell if the Dragon was joking or not, so she started to list some names.

_Gedwin, Jadín, Alíks, Aríana, Dílin or Hi'Foth? That is a few, _Koníka tells the Dragon, and feels it mulling over the options she had given it. Koníka thought about it, as well. They were very similar, yet very different. She did not think she could choose any good names, but the Dragon seemed pleased with its options.

_Since I am indeed female, I will go with Alíks. It sounds right, _responds the Dragon – whose name is now Alíks – after thinking about it for a few minutes.

With that settled, the Dragon and Rider go to see Arya, who is wearing a green tunic while watching one of the classes of young Elves. "Hello, Arya Drottning, may I speak with you in private...?" Koníka asks the queen in a low whisper. A few other Elves still look.

"Yes, young one. Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya." She adds, so that no one can hear the two Riders speaking.

"Well, Alíks has connected with my mind and I do not know what to do next." Koníka explains.

"Alíks?" Arya asks, questioning the younger Elf standing before her.

Koníka shifts her feet and says, "My Dragon... Well, not mine, but my mind partner."

Arya smiles at the young Rider's refusal to treat her Dragon as a common pet, and says, "Well, you must be patient, you cannot fly yet, and you know magic. There is little to do right now, as Dragon and Rider. Continue with your lessons, but report to me weekly. Understood?"

"Yes, Arya Drottning. I have one more question," Koníka says, and Arya nods. "Is there any way to avoid going hunting with her?"

Arya laughs, "Unfortunately not at this very moment. As with everything else, you must wait until she is large enough to defend herself, else it would be too dangerous." She explains.

Koníka sighs, thanks Arya and leaves. _That was not that helpful, _she tells Alíks, who snorts mentally.

_You must be patient, as she said. I can only grow so fast, _The Dragon says.

_Yes, I know. I dislike the bloody scenes of your hunting, though._

_Well, unlike you, I will not settle for mere boiled grass, _asserts the Dragon, disliking even the thought of having to eat the limp green things that the Two-Legs-Pointed-Ears eat.

Koníka doesn't reply, and instead continues her way toward her tree, which she happily acknowledges is not only her home anymore.

_Why do you live alone?_

_I do not know the full story. I know that my parents are no longer living, and that everyone knows about it but me, judging by their attitude. But I am not unhappy with my lot, _The Elf explains meagrely, not knowing what else to say. She sits down at her desk and the Dragon jumps up next to her.

Koníka takes the chance to once again admire Alíks's scales before reaching over to grab her language studies, which involved writing Human glyphs and learning their words. She didn't really enjoy the practice, but she did it, for fear of Heduon's wrath. Frowning at a human glyph, she grabbed a roll of parchment from the shelf above her.

"It says... Ay-ee? No... That is how you would say it in the Ancient Language..." she murmurs to herself, staring at the piece of parchment with the Human alphabet written on it. _Would you have any idea on how to say it? _She asks the Dragon, who had been making an amused humming noise at her failure.

_I am a Dragon. Not a scribe. _Alíks hums, continuing to mock her.

After a while, Koníka figures out the sound. "It is AY!" She exclaims at the parchment, feeling rather ridiculous. Why hadn't she guessed before? The humans used simple glyphs, most only one syllable per symbol. She looks back to her original sheet and starts trying to pronounce 'Apple'.

Alíks snorts at her Rider's difficulty to read the Glyphs. They did not make much sense to her either, but she was a Dragon. Nobody would argue with that. Koníka keeps murmuring things that do not make sense to her, but Alíks sits on the edge of the wood desk in a companionable silence. It had only been three days since she had hatched, but she knew that if something happened to Koníka, then she would do anything to fix it.

After some time, Koníka sits up properly, stretching her long, pale arms out above her head. Alíks snaps her teeth and says, _Time for some food? A deer, perhaps..._

_Yes, we can go once I grab something to eat._

Alíks stretches her long, cat like body and yawns, her teeth coming together with a loud snap. _My wings have gotten bigger, _she thinks to herself, not wanting to disturb the frustrated girl. _I want to fly. I wonder if I can._

While Koníka is in the other room, preparing some revolting grass and flower meal for herself, Alíks crouches as though she was going to pounce on an unsuspecting wood mouse and jumps off the desk, flapping her wings frantically. For a moment, she thinks that she has gotten it, but then she crashes neck first on the floor, hissing.

Koníka laughs, having seen what happened. _Very funny, _Alíks hisses mentally, causing Koníka to laugh even harder. Alíks growls and she stops. _To be honest, you nearly had it, _Reassures Koníka, _Maybe we should try again while you are hunting._

_I would... Appreciate that, _Says Alíks, not really sure if she meant it. Her chest and neck throbbed uncomfortably.

_Come on, it is time to get in the bag, again, _sighs Koníka, resenting having to treat Alíks like that. _And before you do, I will fix you up._

Alíks goes over to Koníka suspiciously, not really sure what the Rider had meant by 'fix you up'. To her surprise, it was exactly what it had sounded like. "Waíse heill" Koníka murmurs, and Alíks feels a lot better. _Thank you, _Alíks hums graciously, getting into the bag without complaint.

Alíks and Koníka were leaving Ellésmera when Lífin, of all people, confronted them. "Where are _you _going?" He asks, raising a suspicious eyebrow at Koníka.

Koníka panics. She can't lie to him, and if she tells the truth, he'll know. But she can't tell the truth, because she is bound to Queen Arya. _Calm down. Say 'the forest'. _Alíks saves Koníka from her panic that, if left unattended would have started to show. "I am going to the forest. To gather herbs and berries." She says; which is true. Each time she has left, she has gathered some greens, giving her an excuse.

He seems suspicious, but doesn't argue the point further. "Okay, have fun... _Herb gathering._" And then he leaves, so the pair continues on their way out of Ellésmera. _That was close. _Koníka sighs inwardly.

_It was not. Your word to Arya would have stopped you, anyway._

_If you say so, _says Koníka and keeps walking. She would have ran, but it would have been uncomfortable for Alíks, who did not like being in the pack anymore than Koníka liked watching her hunt.

After what Koníka deems far enough away from Ellésmera, she goes to take off the pack, but Alíks keeps squirming and she drops it, causing Alíks to hiss at her. _Sorry, _she says, unlatching the bag so Alíks can get out. Alíks rushes out and stretches, then flicks her tongue out, looking for her next unfortunate victim. Koníka turns away and looks for some herbs.

Alíks readies herself to pounce on her unsuspecting victim; this one is some sort of squirrel. She pounces, spreads her wings, and lands on the animal, tearing at its neck. It had one final squeak before it became Alíks's meal officially. Alíks settled down, licking the furry skin from the dead animal, then tears away at its innards, which, to Alíks pleasure, still have blood coursing through them.

Elsewhere, Koníka gags, feeling the squirrel's last moment through her mind, as well as its tasty demise through Alíks. She spots a berry bush and walks up to it to get a better look. It could be poisonous, and she needed to check before she touched them. "Is this berry poison?" she enchanted, but the berries turned out to be safe to eat. Filling a pouch with the berries, she went over to Alíks.

_Are you finished?_

_Yes._

_Would you like to try and fly again?_

Alíks hesitated slightly before responding, _okay._

Koníka mentally urged Alíks to climb on her back. Complying, Alíks did as she was asked. Koníka climbs up to the lowest branch of the closest tree. It was not very low. It was about fifteen metres up, but neither of them complained. _Sit here; wait for me to get back down. _Koníka tells the Dragon, gesturing to the end of the branch.

Koníka jumps down from the tree, landing perfectly on the ground with a soft thud. _Ready when you are, _she stands under the tree waiting for Alíks to jump.

Alíks spreads her wings and jumps off the branch, slowly gliding down. _Flap, _she hears Koníka's voice as it enters her mind. She tilts her wings so that they would propel her forward, then flaps. To her pleasant surprise, she goes forward a little. She flaps a bit harder, but then a gust of wind throws her off balance and she lands sideways on the ground.

_I was going alright for a few seconds. _She immediately defends herself.

_I did not say anything, but yes, you were going well. Are you alright?_

_Yes. _

The duo goes back to Ellésmera, Alíks in the pack again, Koníka casually eating some of the berries she found.

* * *

Koníka slides into her cot and pulls her blanket over herself. Before she can protest, Alíks is there on her stomach, humming happily. She scratches the young Dragon's chin, and falls into her half-sleep.

_Koníka is somewhere she has never been before, glancing around excitedly. There's Dragons and Riders everywhere; flying, hunting, talking to each other. It's amazing. She runs around through the Dragon-sized streets, looking around, trying to take everything in. CRASH, BANG. What was that? She asks in her mind, but there is no answer. It occurs to her that Alíks isn't with her._

_A huge, glittering mass of sapphire rises into the air, a figure barely visible on its back. Is that Saphira and Eragon the Dragon and Rider that defeated Galbatorix? It must be, the figure pulls out a beautiful blue sword and shouts 'BRISINGR' and the blade erupts in blue flames._

_But what are they fighting? Koníka doesn't see anything. Other Dragons and Riders take to the skies, readying themselves for a full scale battle. What could take this many Riders to defeat? Something invisible slashes at Saphira and she falls to the ground roaring and writhing. Eragon shouts something illegible, and then tries to heal the injured Dragon, but nothing happens._

_More Dragons and Riders fall from the sky, and roars and screams fill the air. What is going on? Koníka panics. She feels something slash across her stomach._

"What just happened?" she shouts in fear, but sees Alíks looking up at her.

_What's wrong?_

_I had a horrible dream where all the Riders and Dragons were killed._

_You should tell Arya._

_Okay, you stay here._

As Koníka leaves, the Dragon replies, _fine with me._

Koníka runs out of her tree, and through the starlight bathed city. A few of the older Elves that prefer to be out in the night look at her, because she has panic written all over her face and is running barefoot like a fleeing deer, but take no other notice of her.

She turns around one of the massive trees, heading for Arya's quarters. When she gets there, two guards stop her. That's not normal. "Let me through!" She shouts at them, not trying to conceal her emotions. This is too important.

"Why are you requesting an audience with Arya Drottning at this hour, youngling?" The male guard - Houlín - asks, blocking her passage.

"Because! I had a horrible dream!" She yells at the guards. They laugh at her. "What is Arya supposed to do about that, Young one?" Asks the other guard, a woman named Gluín.

"Who said I was not accepting an audience, Houlín?" Asks a commanding voice; one that Koníka knew as Queen Arya.

"No one, my queen." Houlín says.

"Then let her through." Houlín and Gluín move out of the way reluctantly.

Once Koníka is alone with Arya, she sees Arya's Dragon, Fírnen sitting in the hall. Even in the dim light of the Erisdar, his emerald scales shine brightly. He hummed his acknowledgment of the visitor. "What is it, Koníka? I was watching a star fall."

"I had a strange dream about the Riders and Alíks said I should inform you." She says.

"Well, tell me about the dream." Arya replies, not liking what she had heard. She knew very well from past experiences that Riders and dreams do not go well together.

"Well, I was at an island that had a lot of Dragons and Riders, then there was a crash and a bang, then a huge sapphire-blue Dragon flew into the air with a rider with a blue flaming sword," Arya's face flashed with recognition. "And then-" Koníka was interrupted by a loud boom, and a very shadowy looking dark humanoid figure broke through the wall of the tree.

Koníka falls to the ground, but Arya draws her sword, points it at the intruder and says, "What is your business here, and how did you get here undetected?"

"That is none of your concern, Arya." It says, and a blade of dark stabs out of his body and pierces Fírnen's soft throat. Arya makes a strange noise and immediately goes to Fírnen, attempting to heal his wound. The dark figure laughs at Arya's inability to help her Dragon, and Fírnen's consciousness just disappears, leaving very dark thoughts in both the Elves' minds.

"Well, my work is done here, ladies. I will just be off now." The shaded figure says, but Arya slashes her sword through it. The figure seems unaffected and Arya sits on the ground next to Fírnen's body. Koníka walks over and apologises for Fírnen, unsure of what else to do.

"It was not your fault," she says, tears on her face. "But you and Alíks must leave here, it is not safe. You must go inform King Alinkinus, of the Humans, where he will inform King Arion of Surda, Dwarf Kind Orik and the Urgrala."

"But what about my Rider training?" Koníka asks, uncomfortable about mentioning Riders, especially since there was a dead Dragon in the room.

Arya says a few words, and parchment comes flying from somewhere behind them. Saying a few more words, text magically appears on the parchment. "There are Rider documents in Illirea's library. Use those. Leave as soon as you're packed and ready to go." Arya says, passing Koníka the note.

"Okay," Koníka says sadly, wishing she would be there for Fírnen's funeral. "Farewell"

"Wait. One last thing," Koníka gestures for Arya to continue. "You will be notified when it is safe to return. Stay in Illirea unless you _have _to leave. Understood?" Arya commands.

"Yes, my queen." And with that, she ran back to her tree to inform Alíks of everything that had happened.

Koníka grabbed her sword, a wooden bowl, a knife, her bow and its arrows, a bed roll, a spare tunic and Arya's letter, while explaining what had happened to Alíks with her mind. _Time to get in the bag._

_Already? _Complains Alíks, but she gets in, where the blanket still was from the night's hunting. She throws the tunic over the protesting Dragon, hooks the bowl on the pack, slips the knife and sword into their respective spots on her belt, hooks the bow over her pack, and wears the quiver with the arrows, and nearly forgets the bed roll. She ties it on top of the pack, even though she doubts she will get very much sleep in the week or so to come. _A week at least, _she grimaces, but leaves as quickly as possible.

Some of the younger Elves are waking and leaving their homes, and they see her running, prepared for a journey. "Why is she not wearing shoes?" asks one Elf to another, who shrugs and chews on a piece of sour grass.

Koníka runs, her legs burning, her eye drooping and her feet blistered. She has not slept in two days, running across the countryside of Alagaësia. Alíks has gotten a little bigger, making it an uncomfortable fit in the pack, especially with everything banging against her while Koníka runs, but the Dragon does not complain, and instead feeds the shoe-less runner a steady stream of energy, so that they don't have to stop.

When the pair does stop, it is to get food and foot cover for Koníka, whose feet have started bleeding after the torrent of attacks from the unforgiving ground. _Are you okay? _Alíks asks, stretching and making a very pleased sound. It is the first time that she has been able to stretch properly in over fifty hours.

_Yes, a few hours' sleep and some foot cover will be fine. Can you hunt on your own?_

_Yes, I will be back soon, s_ays the Dragon, trotting off to find another victim.

Koníka sets her bed roll up under some trees, and falls asleep as soon as she hits the flimsy travel mattress.

As for Alíks, she sees a tasty looking bird perched sleeping on a branch. The bird is plump, like a farmer's goose. Alíks climbs up a nearby tree and readies her pounce, wiggling her tail in the air. _Another meal, _She thinks as she jumps across, spreading her wings to extend the distance of her jump. The bird wakes with a start as Alíks lands on it, which is a fraction of a second too late. Alíks tears at the squawking bird's neck, savouring the blood as it flows into her mouth.

_I have no idea why Koníka and the Elves detest hunting so much, _She thinks, chewing at one of the bird's legs. _They have not lived, until they kill._

_Actually, many of the Elves are ruthless murderers, of anything that stands on two legs. Some of them are even old enough to have killed Dragons. _She growls, knowing that Arya had been one of many. _But she killed a corrupted Dragon who could not be saved. _She tells herself, but she would have loved to meet a Dragon as large as the infamous Shruikan.

Finishing the bird, Alíks decide to take her chance at flying again. _There hasn't been too much wind today. Maybe I can do it. _As she had just had her bloody meal on a tree branch, she sees it a good a place as any to try. She returns to her original pouncing position and jumps from the branch. To her amazement, she flies.

_I do not know why I had not figured this out earlier. It is simple, _She muses happily, making her way to wear Koníka slept, flying low to the ground to avoid any rare passers by seeing her. _Wait...How am I going to stop without hurting myself? KONÍKA, WAKE UP! _She howls mentally, tilting back and flapping her wings madly.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Koníka sits up like lightning had struck her just in time to see Alíks as she came crashing into her. "Great... Thanks, Alíks." She murmurs sleepily.

_No problem._

_And nice flying, but I'm going back to sleep._

* * *

**What a plot twist! Haha, this is very fun to write, but I'm going to bed! It's about 1:10AM. (I swear, I wasn't up because I was writing! That would be irresponsible!)**


	3. Meet the King

**CHARACTERS*: **Koníka^, Alíks^, King Alinkinous [H], Línerl

**[H] **Human**  
***Characters in _this _chapter.  
Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Arya** – Ar – ee – yuh

**Fírnen **– FEER - nen

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Ellésmera – **EL-ez-meer-uh

**Alagaësia – **Al –luh – gay – zee – uh

**Línerl – **LEE-NER-EL

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to Skater Of The Books for Betaing this for me! Also, check out 'Vrangr' from the same person! Honestly, the King might be my favourite character!**

* * *

Alíks pokes her head out of the ever moving pack. _Is that Illirea? _She asks. It was difficult to see in the dark, and Alíks snorts disdainfully before returning to the semi-comfort of the blanket and tunic in the pack.

_I believe so, _replies Koníka wearily, breathing heavily. She did not notice her mind projecting her thoughts farther, scaring off some of the local wildlife. _It had better be. I did not spend days running with so little sleep just to come to the wrong town!_

_Okay, calm down._

As Koníka reaches the city's walls, she runs straight into the closed gate, because she had not realised it was closed in her fatigue. A guard shouts, "Who are you and what is your purpose?" Koníka doesn't understand, so she guesses.

"Eka eddyr Koníka. Eka hávr ilumëo wiol onr könungr fra Arya Drottning!" Koníka shouts back in the Ancient Language.

The guards atop the wall look at each other. "What does that mean?" The guard asks his counterpart, who was standing beside him.

"How should I know? I think I heard Elf Queen Arya's name. Maybe we should just let her in." Another guard suggests.

"Is that really such a good idea? I mean, she could be saying 'I have assassinated Queen Arya, your king is next'"

"Let's let her in and blame it on Jeff if we get in trouble."

"Good idea."

/

The gate in front of Koníka creaks open enough to let her in. "Elrun ono!" She shouts as she runs into the city. _You know, I wonder if they understood a word you said._

_It matters little. We are inside the city, yes?_

_Yes._

Koníka's feet start to bleed again, even running on the smoothed by age cobbles, but she continues to run. Her task is too important to worry about trivial things. Her bloody feet slap against the cobbles as she reaches the castle. The castle guards are a lot more slack than the wall guards, they do not try to stop the running Elf as she passes them. She bursts through the door, running from the castle.

_Do you even know where you are going?_

_No. I will find the King, eventually._

Alíks snorts quietly inside the ever moving pack and shifts around, banging her head against the bowl on the outside of the pack. Koníka slides on the marble hallway and sees a room with two guards stationed outside. _A king would have guards, right?_

_Probably._

Koníka stops in front of the drop and jiggles the doorknob frantically. Seeing that the door was locked, she bangs on the door until the guards drag her away, and she falls backwards, landing on Alíks. Luckily the Dragon kept quiet, because Koníka did not want to show anyone it yet. "What are you doing in the castle, girl?" Says one, glaring at Koníka.

_What do I say? I have no idea what he is saying._

_I do not know. I am a Dragon. Not a scribe. I told you that a few days ago, did I not?_

Koníka sighs and thinks to her language studies. None of it had given her any useful vocabulary for such an occasion. But then again, not many people get put in a situation like this. Still breathing heavily she says, "Ay-pelay?" as a lame attempt to say apple. Of course, this was the wrong thing to say, because these were armed guards.

"Are you fooling us, girl?" The other guard asks, a woman this time.

Koníka shrugs, not understanding. "Who was banging on my door? I said no interruptions!" Shouts an annoyed man from behind the door she had been banging on, just moments ago.

The knobs twists and clicks, revealing a man in his early thirties, Koníka guesses. "And WHY is there a girl on the ground? What ARE YOU TWO DOING?" The King shouts at the guards. Sitting there incomprehensibly, Koníka just stares at the man, whose messy beard was ginger brown, and was uncombed. He was dressed in gray garments, which she assumes as sleep wear.

"Nothing! We weren't..." they start, but the King will have none of it.

"Taking advantage of an innocent girl! DO YOU EVEN DESERVE TO BE CALLED GUARDS! WHAT ARE YOU GUARDING, EXACTLY?"

"We did not do anything! She was the one-"

"Stop trying to pin your faults on A CHILD. You should be PUNISHED for THIS!"

"Knocking on your door..."

"WAIT! THAT WAS THE GIRL? EXPLAIN, YOUNG LADY!"

_What? I still don't understand._

_Just say it like you would to Arya._

_**/**_

"EXPLAIN, YOUNG LADY" Shouts King Sindri Alinkinous, looking furiously at the girl on the floor. The girl appeared very startled and confused, but she says, "Eka hávr ilumëo wiol ono fra Arya Drottning..."

"What?"

The girl stares at the king, with the same look of incomprehension that he felt. "Call Línerl, see if he can understand the girl," he commands his guard woman, Eir. "Now, repeat yourself, girl."

The girl looks at him in confusion still, but frantically says, "Arya Drottning... Fírnen Skulblaka... andlát... Eka eddyr Koníka."

Línerl had heard what the girl had said, and held his blade at her neck, causing the girl to flinch back. A very loud squeak of protest escapes the bag. "What is in that bag, girl?" shouts Línerl, shoving his sword closer to the girl, who shifts awkwardly in misunderstanding. A small black and silver creature slides out from the pack, growling at Línerl.

"WHOSE IS THIS?" He yells, gesturing at the Dragon.

"Eka ach néiat-" The girl begins, but Línerl cuts her off.

"Sire, she speaks the Ancient Language, and that," He gestures to the small growling beast. "Is a Dragon. This girl is probably an Elf."

"Why would Arya send another Elf here, especially one as young as her?" The King asks, the girl was glaring at them now, trying to figure out what they were saying.

"I do not know. If you give me some time with her, I could extract the information."

"On a child? I am sure that if you asked, that she would tell you. You are an Elf, and you speak the Ancient Language, there is no reason why you couldn't."

"Yes, sir. I will speak with her. Is there somewhere we can go?"

"Use my quarters while I prepare for an audience. I expect you in the conference room in under an hour."

"Yes, sir."

/

The man, who looked very elfish, goes to drag Koníka off the ground, but she shoves her hand into her vest, and pulls out the letter from Arya and waves it at the King.

"Wait! I have an important letter from Arya Drottning!" She says in the Ancient Language, and Línerl tries to snatch it away. "Not for you. You will find out soon." She adds.

The King glances to Línerl, waiting for a translation. Línerl tells the King what Koníka said, and then the King takes the letter and reads it.

_To, whom I presume to be King Sindri Alinkinous;_

_This girl, Koníka, has recently become a Shur'tugal [Dragon Rider] and shortly after, a mysterious shadowed figure came and... Killed Fírnen. I could not heal the wound, and the figure was untouchable with my Rider's blade. If you come in contact with this creature, leave at once, although I hope you do not._

_As for what to do with her, have Línerl teach her as much of your tongue as possible, and have her put into a swordsman's class. She does not need to be taught magic, as she has a good grasp of it. Please feed and clothe her as well, as I'm sure she did not pack for the long stay._

_Last of all; please return this letter to Koníka, so she may use it for authentication. Any questions of what happened should go to her._

_Many thanks;  
Arya Drottning._

The king passes the note back to Koníka, and then he says, "Never mind, the letter explained everything," He pauses, considering what the letter had said. "And take her and the Dragon to a spare room."

Koníka and Alíks make their way to the room that Línerl was providing for them, Koníka's bloody feet slapping wetly against the floor. As soon as they entered the room, Koníka dumped her pack on the floor and fell asleep on the bed. Alíks jumps up on her stomach and sleeps, even before Línerl had left the room.

* * *

**Again, thanks to Skater Of The Books for Betaing this chapter, and check out 'Vrangr' by them! See you next time...**


	4. Learning Is Hard

**CHARACTERS*: **Koníka^, Alíks^, King Alinkinous [H], Línerl, Diar [H], Minor humans.

**[H] **Human**  
***Characters in _this _chapter.  
Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Arya** – Ar – ee – yuh

**Fírnen **– FEER - nen

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Ellésmera – **EL-ez-meer-uh

**Alagaësia – **Al –luh – gay – zee – uh

**Línerl – **LEE-NER-EL

**Í – **í makes a double 'e' sound. So it's like writing Indíd instead of indeed. Don't actually do that though, most people will think you wrote the 'i' weirdly. This is just kind of relevant to later, that's all.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I'm really, really sorry for the delay! I took a really long time to write it, and then [I've been given permission to shame her] Skater Of The Books took a while to beta it.**

**Also, school's coming back and I'm not home tonight [because some times I occasionally leave the house], so the next chapter will probably be a few days.**

**As for the actual chapter, it involves a few time skips, which are only a few hours. or minutes. whatever. I also redid the dream in this chapter too.**

* * *

Koníka stirs, her sword clinking softly in its scabbard. Annoyed by the Elf's movements, Alex growls quietly and tries to get comfortable once more. The Rider and Dragon were in a spare room of the castle of Illirea. The room was rather under furnished, having only a desk, a chair and a small cot. The pair had been unbothered by the room, and had not even stopped to examine it before sleeping, wary and fatigued by their travel to the city of humans.

Bang, bang, bang. Someone knocks on the door loudly. Koníka yawns and sits up, stretching her arms above her head. "Enter!" She says in the Ancient Language. Her feet hurt, she realises. She pushes Alíks off of her, and looks at her feet. She would have been appalled if she could actually she the damage, but all that was visible was a bloody crust. "Waíse heill." She says quietly, just as the elfish man from last night enters the room.

The man, who was tall and lean, like an elf, had silver hair and green eyes. He stood although he was expecting Koníka to treat him with the respect she reserved for Dragons, Kings and Queens. He has no facial hair, Koníka notes. "I see you have taken care of your feet. My name is Línerl and King Alinkinous has commanded me to teach you the common tongue, as well as translate for you and supervise you." He says in the Ancient Language, frowning slightly. It is obvious to Koníka that he thinks he has better uses of his time.

"Are you an Elf?" Koníka asks, rubbing Alíks's head absently.

"Yes. I am the successor to Vanir, the previous ambassador between humans and Elves. Arya Drottning was even before him," He explains, then says, "The King is requesting you. Please follow me."

Koníka complies, Alíks following sleepily behind the two Elves. Koníka keeps track of the way they walk, so that they can get back. _Left, Left, Right, Left, forward, right, right to get to the throne room,_ she tells Alíks, who snorts her acknowledgement, still tired. The king sits on a golden throne, and a very large, shaggy cat sits on a cushion beside him. Alíks takes immediate notice of the animal and sniffs at it curiously.

The king begins to speak, and Línerl translates for Koníka.

"Good day, Koníka. This is King Sindri Alinkinous, the forth successor to Lady Nasuada Nightstalker, of no relation, as you may have noticed, he is very pale," Says Línerl, gesturing to the King. "He says that in the letter from Arya, she requested that you continue learning swordsmanship, archery and that I must teach you the common tongue, which I plan to.

"Today, you will be given a tour of the castle and other facilities that you may need. This will include the training grounds, where children train to become knights or magicians. As per human custom, very rarely are women trained to become knights, so as a personal request, do not make a fool of yourself in the class, to keep the Elves' good reputation intact. Any questions?"

"A few. Firstly, why do I have to learn from you?"

"That is exactly what was said in the letter. I cannot predict Arya drottning's decisions."

"Okay. Secondly, why are only male humans trained as knights?"

"I do not know, but I believe it is because human women tend to be considered weaker than men."

"Okay then. I am ready for the tour. Can you thank King Alinkinous for his time and that if he has any questions regarding what happened with Arya Drottning or Fírnen, I will answer."

Línerl relays the message to the king, and then says back, "The king would like to hear a full account of what happened."

"If he does not mind, I would prefer the memory over saying it aloud."

Línerl consults with the king for a moment about this before saying, "Go ahead, he is waiting."

Koníka connects her mind with the king's, feeling strange, as she has never talked with a human before last night, let alone connected minds with one. Then, she adds Línerl, who feels slightly less foreign. She shifts as quickly through her memories as possible, not wanting to show the King or the Elf more than she has too. Finding the memory she was looking for, she plays the dream and the aftermath to them.

_The king stands watching Koníka from the outside, but still in the dream. It is a strange sensation, but he watches. What he sees is a beautiful island, a glittering blue ocean and Dragon Riders, everywhere. He sees the Elf girl looking around in an excited daze, trying to take the whole scene in. After a few moments, she starts to run, with her superior Elf speed, down the gigantic streets. The streets would make anyone feel like a Dwarf, or even an ant._

_Suddenly, there is a loud CRASH, BANG. It startles the girl and the King, who had not realised he had been feeling like the child. What is that? Echoes through the minds of the people in the memory, and the King felt the girl's dismay when there is no answer. The king gets little time to ponder the dismayed feeling before his attention is drawn by a huge, glittering sapphire mass flying into the sky. He recognises it from the various paintings he has seen throughout the castle. It is Saphira, with the famous Eragon King Killer her back. Saphira sends an enormous jet of white-blue fire as Eragon draws his sword, Brisingr, and it erupts into blue flame, as well._

_More Riders deploy into the sky, fighting what one can only assume an extremely powerful invisible enemy, just as many Riders fall from the sky, and screams and roars echo through the beautiful island, until Eragon and Saphira themselves fall. Eragon tries to heal the Dragon, but to no avail. The last thing the King sees is the girl falling on the ground, clutching her stomach._

_Suddenly, the scene changes to the girl waking up, having a mental conversation with her Dragon about the dream, until she deems it necessary to report it to Arya... Drottning. The girl runs, similarly dressed to how she was right this very second, through the breath-taking city of Ellésmera. The king cannot help but miss the point of this part of the memory, because he stands gawking at the Elf city, which was illuminated by the night._

_After a quick conversation with some guards, Arya comes out and retrieves the girl. The girl starts to explain the dream, but then a shadowed figure blasts through the wall. Arya confronts the figure, but it ignores her questions and kills her Dragon Fírnen. The king feels an intense feeling of loss, as though he had lost his arms and legs, and was unable to speak. He realises that this is what it feels like to lose a partner, and feels even worse for Arya's loss, even though he had only been feeling what the child had been feeling. He could not imagine how Arya had felt._

_As Arya had said, her sword was useless against the dark creature, and he only understood parts of the dialogue, because it was in the Elf language. Luckily, he gets the general gist of what they are talking about. Arya tells the young Rider to flee Ellésmera for Illirea, and show a letter to the king, who he happily notes, is him._

_The girl packs quickly and runs, only stopping once. During that stop, her dragon had learned to fly, which they all felt good about, knowing that the dragon was progressing without instruction. Then she arrives in Illirea, and has a very strained conversation with the guards on the wall. The king is slightly annoyed that the guards had let the girl in knowing that she may have been an assassin, since they did not understand a word she said._

Koníka cuts the memory off, leaving both the king and Línerl dumbstruck. "Did you alert Arya to the dream?" Línerl recovers first and asks her.

"Yes, but only part of it. We were interrupted by the Black-Flame-Shadow-Thing." She says, but they do not seem to have any further questions and so they left to tour the castle and surrounding areas.

/

"This is your swordsman class. That will be your sword master, Diar. You will start your lessons tomorrow, but you will be tested today." Línerl says, pointing to Diar. He was a tall, well built man that looked menacing. His brown hair was cropped short, and he had a short beard, that looked as though he trimmed it often. Línerl says something to Diar, but Koníka tunes out, because she is sick of hearing things she does not understand, and instead looks to the class.

They were all human boys roughly her age, whacking clumsily at each other with wooden sticks. Well, to be fair, they were not sticks, but rather wooden poles cut from trees. Koníka stared disdainfully at the practice weapons, knowing an object of that shape could easily be sung out of a tree. _What do you think? You have not said anything all morning._

_I think that you will have no problem in this class. Their movements are slow and heavy, whereas you can move as little more than a blur to them. I would regret being whichever one that has to face you as your test._

_Indeed._

Línerl turns back to Koníka and says, "You will be facing that boy, there," he says pointing. "Do not shame the Elves. You will be using a wooden practice pole, like the ones they are using. I will watch. Do not let your Dragon interfere."

_I would prefer being called by my name._

_I will tell him, I dislike it when you are called 'Dragon' too._

"Yes... Master. Alíks would like to be referred as Alíks, by the way." She says, conveying Alíks request before walking over to the stick-rack and grabbing a wooden pole. It seemed Illogical to be using a stick, especially since she still had her sword belted to her waist.

Koníka approaches the boy, who says something in a scornful tone. She looks to Línerl, but he shakes his head, indicating that either she did not want to know, or it was not worth her time. Diar gestures and shouts "GO!" Koníka stare incomprehensibly for a moment before turning to face her opponent.

The boy had only just begun his swing, which, through the eyes of an Elf, was clumsy and slow. Koníka hits the stick away, snapping it in two by accident, then hits his ribs, knee and right wrist in quick succession. The boy cries out and lands on the ground and Koníka turn to Línerl.

"I do not know how you could think that an inexperienced human could defeat an Elf. You have been among them too long."

"You have a fair point, Shur'tugal. I will not underestimate you again." He apologises, but he did not seem pleased with her swordsmanship. It did not faze the Rider too much, as she knew that she was not as good with the blade as she ought to be.

Diar says something to the defeated boy, and he turns to leave. Koníka feels bad, because the boy holds his wrist. It had probably been hurt when she broke his stick. "Wait. I can fix that for you." She says, and Línerl translates. The buy looks hopeful and comes back over. Koníka whispers, 'be healed' under her breath, and the boy's skin flows for a moment before looking as though nothing had happened. "Thanks." He says, but Koníka glances at him in confusion until Línerl says, "He was thanking you for fixing his wrist. I do not need to question Arya's word now, either."

Koníka was slightly confused by his statement, but lets it go as they leave to continue the tour.

/

"This, is the magic field. As you can see, there are women here, although not many," He says, gesturing to a field close by the weapons area. "You will not spend much time here, as Arya Drottning has said that you are competent with magic, and you yourself have proved it."

/

"Now, lastly. This is the library. Using the letter from Arya drottning, you will be able to select any item from here you wish to read. Now, I will start to tutor you in the common tongue, so that you can actually read the books and scrolls. Very few of them are in the Ancient Language." Línerl explains, and then takes Koníka to a desk surrounded in documents.

"Show me the extent of your education. Say the common alphabet."

"Ay, bee, cee, dee, í, EF, Gí, Haytch, I, Jay, khay, EL, em, EN, Oh, Pí. Kíu, ar, ess, tee, ew, vurr-Ví," She stumbles over the sound that 'V' makes. "Ew –ew, ecks, yhi, zí." She finishes, knowing she had said a lot of them wrong.

Línerl sighs. "Okay, you have the sounds mostly right. My main concern is double-u, which you said 'ew-ew'. Say 'DOUBLE-U'"

Alíks hums in amusement. "Durble. Ew?"

"Close enough, I am going to write something, and you have to say it, okay?" he writes down 'hello'.

Koníka glares at the paper for a moment before saying, "Híl, Loh?"

"Sort of. It is pronounced 'Huh-ELL-oh"

"Huh-el-o?"

"No, HELL-Oh."

"HellOH?"

"Close enough. Now say this." He writes 'hello, sir' on the parchment.

"HellOHsurh?" She says, glaring at the paper.

"No. You see the space between these words? That means that they're different words and you wait a moment before saying them."

"But all of the glyphs have spaces between them."

"But not a very large one. It is said 'Hell-o Sir.'"

/

By the end of the day, Línerl had pretty much given up. Koníka was a very unwilling student, and her Elfish accent made it even harder to understand the words. She _had _made progress, but the learning was slow. It would take weeks to get her into regular conversation with humans, and even more to do it with him around. _Humph. I cannot believe that I got stuck with this job, _He thinks, and then sits down next to the King.

"Línerl, we have Dwarf visitors coming. Be sure that there is enough mead." He says; all business. When he was not on the throne, he was ridiculously laid back.

"Yes, sir. I shall check with the cooks at meal time."

"Be sure you do. How is the Dragon Rider's progress?"

"By human standards in swordsmanship, she is practically unbeatable. In magic, there is no need for substantial improvement, but her language skills need work."

"So I have noticed. What did Diar say?"

"He said to continue bringing her to the class, but she must practise with me."

"Good. Let us make way to dinner."

"Yes, sir."

/

Koníka sits at the long dark oak dining table, to the left of the King. At first she was surprised to get such an honoured placement, but then Línerl explained it was because she was a Dragon Rider. The room is ornate, everything lined with either gold or silver. Diamonds of different colours line the golden frames of Dragon Rider portraits. Koníka examines one that looks like Eragon at the end of the room, and grimaces inwardly. _I hope to dream was not right._

_But it probably was. The Dragons were un-healable, like Fírnen was._

Koníka does not answer, unnerved by the uncomfortable feeling that Alíks was probably right, and that they were the only current living Rider and Dragon, unless anyone had escaped the onslaught from the dream; which is possible, since there were many Riders, even if there was not as many as in the Old Order.

The king says something, and Línerl passes it on to her. "What would you like for dinner?"

"Anything but meat." She replies, resenting the food.

_Anything that is meat, _Alíks adds, ordering from her disgusting menu of cannibalism.

Línerl passes on the message, and soon the food is served. Koníka some mushroom soup, Alíks some fresh deer. Koníka had not realised how hungry she was. She had not eaten since she was walking back from Alíks's hunting trip in , over a week ago. The only way she had avoided starving was that Alíks had been sending her energy from her meals. The meal is soon over and Koníka and Alíks return to their room, well feed and looking forward to the next day.

* * *

**Again, sorry about the delay! There's a largeish time skip in the next chapter (Which I have written the first three words to.), but you'll be warned**


	5. Flying!

**CHARACTERS*: **Koníka^, Alíks^, King Alinkinous [H], Línerl, Elís, Minor humans.

**[H] **Human**  
***Characters in _this _chapter.  
Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Arya** – Ar – ee – yuh

**Fírnen **– FEER - nen

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Ellésmera – **EL-ez-meer-uh

**Alagaësia – **Al –luh – gay – zee – uh

**Línerl – **LEE-NER-EL

* * *

**DEFINITIONS**

**Blár-skular – **Black Scales / Obsidian Scales (Honorific for Alíks)

* * *

**A/N: Uuuugh. Stirrups! There are so many different kinds, but wikipedia has none on Dragons... Honestly. Anywhosle, here you go, a chapter. I'm trying to fill in space before something happens, so there might be a few other chapters like this for a while. I hope I can get them out on a regular basis, too. [Stupid school, who said I needed to learn?]**

* * *

**TIME SKIP ALERT! [A month]**

Koníka feels a sharp pain behind her knee and falls backwards. Landing hard on the ground, she gasps in a quick breath before the inevitable. "Dead." Línerl says pointing his magically protected sword an inch from her throat. Even though Koníka was easily a match for a human, the other Elf had proved a merciless teacher, much like Glaen had been. Alíks hums in amusement, the sound louder and deeper than it had been a month ago. She was much larger now, too.

"Guard yourself at all times. Your Dragon will not always be there to do it for you, or anyone else. How do you expect to be a fully capable Dragon Rider if you cannot hold your own against your own, let alone whatever it was that killed Fírnen and broke through the enchantments around Ellésmera without anyone knowing?" He scolds, waving his sword around as he does. Koníka rubs her leg remorsefully. They had had this conversation many times.

"Ecksuse-mí, I-shell tri harduh neckst tím..." She says, struggling over the words in the common tongue.

"And your language skills. As much as they have improved, I do not wish to be your translator forever!" He says incredibly frustrated, taking a step back to give her room to stand. "Now again!"

Alíks watches as Koníka stands and readies her sword once again. They had duelled many times this morning, and she was getting bored. She snorts and says; _I have had enough of this nonsense 'duelling'. I will be back at dusk._

_Okay, _The battered Elf responds, swinging her sword at the book-wise-but-impolite-pointed-ears, who evades it easily.

Alíks crouches and jumps high into the air, flapping her wings to gain some height. The skies were clear and windless, so Alíks circles for a while, hovering over the magic users with interest. They were saying words in the Elf-Language, but many pronounced them wrong, chopping the words like a butcher would a lamb. She glides down, sitting by the magic master. "Why hello there, Alíks. Come to join us, have you?" she says, correcting one of the many students that needed help with their say-things-right.

The magic master was an Elf, which made sense to Alíks. The only other people that could teach magic properly would be the Ancient-Grey-Folk, who have been gone for a long time, according to Koníka. The master, Elís, had black hair that hung straight down her back. Her eyes were a knowing emerald. _Yes, I have. These humans have no grasp for the Elf-Talk._

"Give them time. It is like Koníka's swordsmanship. It has potential, but needs to be practised until mastery is achieved." She replies, scratching Alíks chin.

_Time is not of the essence. The Black-Shadow-Flame will not wait forever. If it was trying to remove the power and order from the Elf-City, what makes you think that it would not try the same here?_

"Your point is valid, Blár-skular, but we must use our time, lest it run out."

_I agree, but what is a Dragon Rider that has not even tried to fly? She has spent too much time learning the Human-Speak and playing with sticks than she should be._

"Again, a valid point. Perhaps you may convince her to climb on your back, and take her yourself."

_That is a good suggestion. I think that I shall. How goes your students, Elís?_

"In this class, they are but beginners, as you may have noticed, their language skills are not up to scratch, which makes them dangerous."

_Not as dangerous as I. But yes, they must be supervised closely._

"Yes, indeed. Cole! What did I say about pestering the combat class? Get over here!" The boy trots over unhappily back to the magic field, throwing a wooden practice sword behind him. Alíks snorts, projecting her thoughts toward the unsuspecting student.

_Do not interrupt the stick-fighters. You have much to learn in magic, and must stay on topic._

After Elís translates, the boy says, "I do not wish to learn magic. I want to fight."

Alíks connects properly with the boy's mind, with complete disregard for manners. The boy had annoyed her and interrupted her conversation.

_That reminds me of something my Rider said. _She tells him, and then shows him the memory.

_Alíks snorts lazily, having been napping most of the afternoon, she was not in the mood for anything. Koníka, the only girl in the combat class, comes over from her private lesson with Línerl, drenched with sweat as always after a hard battle. She slumps down against Alíks and sighs. "I do not wish to learn swordplay. I do not want the responsibility of the black shadow creature. Why can't I be like everyone else?"_

Because, I chose you, _Says Alíks, meeting eyes with the Elf._

"_Yes, and as much as I appreciate it, I do not enjoy being beaten everyday then forced to learn the Human's Tongue."_

Then get better. You would still have to learn them both back at Ellésmera, _Alíks reminds her._

_Koníka sighs again and gives in. "Fine. I will continue to learn this forsaken skill. But I do not think that I will continue after reaching mastery."_

After the memory is over, Alíks withdraws her mind, giving the child some time to think about it. She curls up and naps, snoring as quiet as a Dragon _can _snore.

/

_AL_ _ÍKS! _Koníka shouts mentally at the slumbering Dragon. Alíks sits up and growls instinctively, not sure what is going on. _What?_

_My legs hurt. Can you let me ride on your back to the castle?_

_Are you serious?_

_Yes. Please?_

_Fine, _Alíks stops growling and walks at a calm pace toward the combat field. Since she had started her nap, it had gotten considerably darker. Not that it mattered. She could see easily. When she reaches the field, she sees Koníka sitting on the ground, catching her breath from the latest dawn-til-dusk-stick-hitting. Alíks suddenly has an idea, and lets the tired Elf on her back without protest.

To clear up any suspicion, Alíks trots nonchalantly toward the castle for a few moments, before crouching and jumping into the air, flapping her wings. "ALÍKS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Koníka shouts, reverting back to the magic-words because she did not have time to think out the sentence in the human-speak. Several Two-ears look for the source of the noise, find it, and look on in awe.

_I found a good time to take you flying, _says Alíks casually, flying in a circle above castle now.

_THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN JUST TAKE ME WITHOUT ASKING!_

_Well, I did._

Koníka grasps onto one of Alíks neck spikes in an attempt to hold on to the Dragon. Both of her legs hang off the side of Alíks's obsidian-like body, swaying in the air. _THIS IS NOT ALRIGHT. WHAT IF I FALL? _She screams mentally, scared out of her mind. The Dragon snorts seriously and reassures Koníka, _I will catch you._

_Can I go down, please? I will find a book about saddles tomorrow and make one! Riding like this is terrifying, _she says, calming down enough to think-talk Alíks something reasonable.

_Fine, _Alíks says and glides down toward the main door of the castle. As soon as they hit the ground, Koníka lets go and sighs. Línerl just happens to be there and starts laughing like a mad man. "Not funny." Koníka says, getting up and brushing the dust off her clothes.

"Very funny." He says, gasping for breath.

Koníka mumbles something under her breath and walks toward the hall, where dinner would be served. Línerl looks up at Alíks and sees an amused gleam in her eye. "You thought it was funny too, right?"

Alíks snorts in response, making her way to dinner as well. As far as she knew, Línerl did not stay that long afterwards either.

/

Koníka managed to convince Línerl to take her into the library to find something on Dragon saddles, and so they were browsing the Riders' section. They had already been there for most of the morning, but Koníka had insisted on staying, because Alíks would hassle them otherwise - which was true. She has a very strong opinion that to be a Dragon Rider, you have to be able to _ride a Dragon_, which was also true, she supposed.

Línerl grabs an old scroll of one of the shelves and blows some dust from it. Opening it, he sees what they have been looking for, and luckily it was written in the Ancient Language, so he wouldn't have the boring task of reading it to her. "Found it." He says, and the girl turns around immediately and peers over his shoulder, much to his irritation. He passes the scroll to her and she looks surprised, maybe that it is in the Ancient Language, maybe that he had actually found it. Who knows?

She runs off, after writing her withdrawal on some parchment, presumably to go read it. _Great, now what? I am supposed to watch her..._

Línerl sighs and follows, running through the castle. A few guards look surprised, because to them he always has a straight face, which is not exactly true. After spending so much time with humans, his accent would seem foreign to most Elves. _Maybe that is why the girl had to ask if I was an Elf..., _he thinks, turning in one of the corridors. _Maybe she noticed my mood changing or something, unlike with most Elves._

The thoughts depressed him. He is part of one of the greatest races of Alagaësia, but unrecognisable to his own kind, making him feel as though he was neither human nor Elf. He reaches the girl's room and knocks, not forgetting human etiquette. "yumai eentur." She says from behind the door. Línerl makes note to try and teach her to pronounce things better, because it took him a moment to decipher what she had said.

She had a quill and parchment, and she was writing something down. "What do you need, Línerl?" She asks, reverting back to the Ancient Language for ease of conversation.

"Remember, I am supposed to watch you. You cannot just run off like that." He says, sitting on the edge of the cot.

"Fine. I am just in here, and I am not allowed to leave until I need the materials for the saddle, according to Alíks."

"Hm. Well, looks like I cannot leave either, then."

/

Koníka looks down on her mock up proudly. She has been sitting at her desk for who-knows-how-long and has drawn diagrams of the saddle she plans on creating for Alíks. _Alíks._

_Yes?_

_I need to get some measurements off you. Meet me in the courtyard._

_Okay._

"Can I get some string or something? I need to measure Alíks." She asks Línerl, who was lying back on the bed leisurely.

"Yes. Where are you meeting with her?"

"In the courtyard."

"I will have some there by the time you arrive."

/

Once she was in the courtyard with Alíks, Koníka grabbed some of the string that Línerl had had sent down. She measures around Alíks's chest, down her spine and the space between her neck spikes and writes it down on her parchment. Alíks had seemed pleased when she saw the numbers, as well.

Konika grabs the parchment and the scroll that had the instructions on it, and then she sits down, working out the exact measurements that the saddle would have to be. Luckily, the scroll had a guide on how to work it out for both male and female Dragons up to the age of one-hundred. After a little while, she asks Línerl to get some leather for the saddle. _Happy now?_

_Not yet._

_I did not think so._

/

Now in a tannery of some sort, Koníka wields a short knife, cutting the leather and singing enchantments quietly onto what will be the saddle. As much as it is temporary, she cannot help but want it a good quality saddle. Mostly so that she will not fall, but also to impress Arya drottning, if they meet again before the saddle does not fit any more. Many of the tannery's workers look on in awe as she stitches the leather, but it also magically joins.

Slowly, the leather starts to take form. The seat is as soft and comfortable as it is going to get, so Koníka begins work on the straps and stirrups. The stirrups had to be well fitted, which was difficult because not many people made Dragon saddles, so Koníka could not get very much help with that. After remaking them about seven times, she added a metal support on the bottom and decided they were not going to get any better.

She did not trust the original stirrup straps, so she made them adjustable, which took a lot longer than she expected. After labouring with the metal and leather for so long her fingers went numb, she gave up on making those straps any better. Then she focused on the straps that would go on Alíks. She had a rather morbid thought of the straps breaking and her going flying off of Alíks still on the saddle, but dismissed it. She did not want to make herself paranoid.

To her surprise, the straps that went on Alíks were the easiest, or they felt like it. Maybe it was because she had fiddled so much with the straps already that she knew how to do it quickly and efficiently, or maybe it was luck. The hand loops were easy as well, much to her pleasure. One of the hardest parts of making the saddle was putting all of the bits and pieces together, though.

Once she was done with the saddle, she carved some glyphs from the Ancient Language into it, so that it would have even more protection. She put down the knife and needle and examined her handy work. The saddle, much to her surprise, looked amazing. The glyphs that were written across it added to the image, but she was most pleased by the overall look of it. She grabbed the saddle and walked outside to where Alíks was waiting, just to find her asleep and it dark outside.

_Wake up Alíks, it is finished._

The Dragon stirs and gets up, looking at her expectantly. _Nicely done. Can we fly now, or do I have to wait?_

_We can go now, let me put it on you._

There was some struggling, since it was really awkward to work around a Dragon's shape, but they got it on eventually. It fit nicely, but it irritated Alíks. _Is this what it is like to wear clothes? Ugh..._

Koníka laughs tiredly and climbs up, hooking her feet in the stirrups and grabbing Alíks's neck spike. Alíks wiggles a little, crouches and jumps, doing the usual flying start before making her way into the air. It is a lot more fun than the last time, because Koníka was expecting it. She cannot help but grin and laugh until she realises that that was the reason she was swallowing so many bugs.

The only problem that she had was that the saddle was _too _smooth, and she keeps slipping. That was easy to fix, and she would do that in the morning. When they settled on the ground, Koníka jumps down and takes the saddle off.

_Well? It was not that bad, was it?_

_No, I am sorry for... screaming yesterday..._

_No problem. Go get some food and sleep. I will see you in the morning._

* * *

**There we go! I've got to start thinking about what will happen next... I've left so many unanswered questions! (MWAHAHAHA?)  
Here's some examples:  
Koníka's Parents  
What happened to Arya  
What the black-shadow is  
What ACTUALLY happened to the Riders on their happy island  
And, of course, Koníka's Rider training, supposing that it will happen...  
**


	6. Lífin's Adventure!

**CHARACTERS*: **Lífin^, Arya.

**[H] **Human**  
***Characters in _this _chapter.  
Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Arya** – Ar – ee – yuh

**Fírnen **– FEER - nen

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Ellésmera – **EL-ez-meer-uh

**Alagaësia – **Al –luh – gay – zee – uh

**Línerl – **LEE-NER-EL

* * *

**DEFINITIONS**

**Blár-skular – **Black Scales / Obsidian Scales (Honorific for Alíks)

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! Seriously. First off, I took a while to write this. About halfway through I got the imfamous WRITER'S BLOCK. Then, it took my Beta-er (SkaterOfTheBooks) a while to proof read it. [I don't blame you!]** **So this chapter is probably subject to a little change.**

**Luckily, I plan on having the next chapter out soon, in a half compensation for everyone. :(**

* * *

Lífin flips the sword out of his classmate's hand, leaving her defenceless. He then holds the blade at the girl's neck, speaking softly, he says "Dead."

"Very good, Lífin. You have improved greatly over the past months. You may leave for your gramarye lesson, now." Glaen says. Lífin acknowledges the praise with a brief nod before leaving. Usually, he would have fought with Koníka, but the other Elf had been nowhere to be seen since he had bid her farewell to gather herbs. Not that he believed that was what she was doing, but the concept is the same. Shortly after Fírnen's death, there had been word of a new Dragon Rider. He doubted that, since if Fírnen could not survive, than another Dragon would stand no chance.

The funeral had been more depressing than the Dragon's death itself. It had reminded him of his loss, and seeing Arya Drottning's face made him feel worse. None of the Elves had tried to hide their sorrow, but it was obvious that she felt the worst. _Obviously, Lífin, _He tells himself. _It was her Dragon. Partner of the mind and soul or whatever. _It would take a long time for any of the Elves to get over Fínen's death, especially with whatever killed him on the loose.

Lífin arrives in the magic field, and shortly after, Faeríl announces that they will be revisiting dream staring before their abilities are tested. He grimaces inwardly. He was no good at magic, and this would be difficult to pass at a decent standard. He pretends nothing is wrong, and grabs his bowl of water, sitting down and glaring at the pool. _Today, I conquer you. _He tells it, even though there is no conscious life whatsoever in the bowl.

"Choose what you will stare, concentrate and say 'dream stare'. You should know that already, though." Faeríl instructs, gesturing for no apparent reason.

_What will I stare...,_ he asks himself. _I think that I will stare Koníka, to see if she is still alive. _He humours his own morbid joke before starting the spell. He sees Koníka, sparring fiercely with something. Her wrist moves quickly, and sweat covers her forehead. She is dressed in strange attire, with a leather vest over the top. _Strange. _Her balance is broken when something unseen hits her in the back of her right ankle. She falls to the ground with a soft thud before mouthing something to the unheard.

She stands brushing herself off and walks through the floating whiteness before climbing something and grasping something in front of her, shifting into a sitting position. Despite her obvious efforts, she cannot keep the smile off her face as she goes up. Or he assumes it is up, but it is hard to tell when all he sees is Koníka and white. "Why are you staring Koníka?" His master's voice startles him and he falls out of the spell.

"What? Uh... I was wondering where she disappeared to..." he says, shifting slightly as to see his teacher.

"As was I, but I did not invade her privacy by staring her."

"Yes... Sorry, ebrithil"

"Good. Although, I must admit, I am interested in what she was doing. Maybe I shall speak with Arya Drottning on the subject..." She trails off as she walks along to another student.

Asking Arya drottning seemed like a good idea to Lífin, so after the magic lesson he went in search of his Queen. He finds her in the Tialdarí Hall, which was guarded by six ancient Elves. He briefly recalled hearing that one of them, Huín, had been a part of the Dragon War against Galbatorix. He nods his respects and asks for permission to speak with Arya in private, saying it was regarding the rumoured Dragon Rider, which was true. He was nearly completely sure that Koníka's disappearance and the new Rider were connected, since they both happened around the same time, and she had been acting suspiciously a few days before she left.

"What is it, child?" Arya asks. She was far from calm. No matter what anyone said to her, she seemed to have changed dramatically since the death of Fírnen, which makes sense, he guesses.

"I have questions about the rumoured new Rider." He says, making a helpless gesture with his hands.

"That is on a need to know basis, Lífin. If that is all, you are dismissed."

"WAIT. Is it Koníka?" He asks her, before one of the guards try to drag him out.

Arya looks slightly amused. "Why yes, it is. How did you guess?" She gestures to the guard to let go of him, and the pressure on his arms is released.

"Well, she was acting a little strange before she... left, and then I heard some of the other Elves talking about her departure, saying that she looked like she was in a hurry, and earlier, I stared for her and I saw her sparring with something, then ride something into the air." He finishes, taking a deep breath.

"Hm. I will have Línerl put wards on her," Arya drottning says to herself. "Well, as I said, this is on a need to know basis at the moment, so please do not speak of it with anyone else. As for the sparring, I suppose she was with Línerl, our ambassador with the Humans," Arya smile slightly, despite herself. "And why were you staring her, anyways?"

"Well... I was wondering... where she had gone..." he says, going rather red at Arya's implication.

"Very well. You may leave now, if you have no more to say."

"Wait. I do have something else," he says, and Arya gestures for him to continue. "Why is she not in Ellésmera? Could you not train her better than this... Línerl?"

"I could. It is for safety." Seeing that the conversation was pretty much over, the guards remove Lífin from the Hall, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

_So there is a new Dragon Rider... But I cannot tell... And it is dangerous to even think about it. But... It is not fair that SHE is the one who gets to be the Dragon Rider... _he walks along the grassy floor of Ellésmera, not really heading anywhere. Suddenly, an idea strikes him. He runs back to Tialdarí Hall and straight back into Arya. Literally. He runs straight into Arya, falling backwards in the awkward silence, since Arya was still quite a bit taller than him...

"What now, Lífin?"

"I would like to be assigned as a secondary guard for Koníka Shur'tugal!" He blurts, dragging himself off the ground.

"Would you? That seems a large task for one so... young." Arya points out, examining the other Elf.

"Yes! I do not think that I can be helpful here, and would like to help somewhere!" Lífin says desperately. Arya considers this for a few moments. Another young Elf would not be that suspicious, especially if they used magic to change their features. Then again, two children on their own would be suspicious too, and she cannot take Línerl off his post just to watch them. And Alíks would be a problem, too. She would get more and more noticeable as time wore on. By now, she would be the size of a shack. With so many factors to incorporate into her decision, she frowns.

"Very well... You will leave tomorrow in the morning, go pack, say your farewells and report to me before you leave," Having given in, Arya adds. "I do hope that Koníka appreciates the gesture, as I am sure that she would not want to be... babysat."

"Thank you, Arya drottning! You will not regret your decision!" Lífin calls gratefully as he runs to his home to tell his parents of his departure. He was not looking forward to their reaction though, especially since he could not actually mention that he was going to see Koníka, or a Dragon Rider, thanks to his word to Arya.

/

Lífin looks up at his father, trying to conceal his guilt. He really did not want to leave his parents, especially since he could not explain the matter fully. Still, he says, "Father, Mother. I am leaving for Illirea to...," He pauses, trying to find a way around his word to Arya. "Help out in a... _pressing _situation. Arya drottning has asked me to be packed by morning, in preparation for leaving." He takes a deep breath, but still he makes eye contact. Both of his parents look at him passively, even though he knows that they are upset by the news.

His father, Kían, is the first to speak. "Then I wish you luck, son. May fate be merciful during your travels."

His mother does not speak, but instead hugs him. After a short while she says, "Well, you must start packing, so you can get some sleep. It must be important if you are leaving tomorrow."

Seeing the truth in her words, Lífin breaks away from the hug and packs his bag; a blanket, a bed roll, and a wooden bowl. He sets his knife and sword on the table next to his cot. He was about to get into his cot when he realised that he had not packed any clothes, and hastily did so, murmuring to himself about needing to get some sleep.

/

Arya, with more time on her hands than Lífin has, writes a note for him. It is written in the Human-tongue, and she doubts that he would understand very much of it if he tried to read it. Several times she started over, trying to write the letter in a way that if mentioned to Koníka or Alíks, would not offend them. In the end she decided upon;

_To whom it is that may be reading this, presumably Línerl, Koníka, Alíks or Sindri._

_This Elf, Lífin, has requested to be sent to Illirea, and I have granted his wish. Please teach him the common tongue and magic, much like with Koníka. His swordsmanship need little work, but I still would like him in a class, preferably with Koníka, because I am guessing that the Humans have had little luck against the Elf._

_With mention of Koníka, please have Línerl seed me a report of her progress, as I have received none. If she has yet to make a saddle for Alíks, I believe there is a scroll in the library regarding the topic in great detail. Also, make sure that Alíks is absorbing what Koníka is being taught, as she will have to communicate with others eventually, and she could easily be the difference between life and death for Koníka._

_As with Koníka's letter, may this letter present Lífin with access to the library, and anywhere else he need be. Thank you,_

_Arya Drottning_

Soon after she is pleased with the letter, Lífin appears. "Ah, welcome. Take this letter with you. I presume that you have a map or know the way?"

The black-haired Elf nods in response, rubbing his emerald eyes sleepily.

"That is good. You will get more rest in Illirea, I assure you. As far as I know, there have been no mishaps since the shadow-flame attacked us. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, Arya drottning. What does the letter say?"

"Ah, that is authentication for Línerl, our ambassador. If you can find him that is," Arya says, making a semi-humorous gesture. "I would say that it is more likely that you will run into Eragon himself first though. Línerl is very crafty."

Lífin looks on with some interest, before bidding his Queen farewell. He shifts his pack before running at a steady pace toward Illirea. What had Arya meant by crafty? He did not know. Shrugging off his question, he continues. No one could answer his query, since as far as he knew, he was alone.

/

After a week of uninterrupted running, Lífin sees the giant, looming walls of Illirea. Luckily, it is day time, making the walls a lot less menacing, Lífin adds to himself. Sometimes, he wished he had a Dragon just so that he could talk with someone instead of letting his thoughts echo around aimlessly in his mind. A guard, stationed at the gate, stops him.

"What is your purpose?" The guard is tall and broad shouldered. He cannot have been a guard for that long, as he appears youthful.

"Eka hávr koma eom beina du Shur'tugal." Lífin gasps out, leaning on his knees and breathing heavily.

"I do not understand, but as with the last person that came through talking like that... I will let you in and blame it on Jeff." The guard murmurs, turning and shouting something else to another guard. Lífin just stares at him for a moment before deciding that whatever he had said had nothing to do with him. He hoped.

The gates open, and Lífin walks into the city, gaping at the sites. Many of the buildings were recent, having been built after Eragon King Killer and the Varden had fought for the rights to Alagaësia. The cobbles under his feet were worn smooth, and several people looked on at him in wonder. He ignored them, instead turning right.

After a short while, Lífin realises that he has no idea where he was going. Getting to Illirea was one thing, but navigating it was another. It was getting dark when he heard a peculiar noise. _Floop, floop floosh. _And then a soft thump behind him. He turns, holding his sword out at whatever was behind him.

To his complete and utter surprise, he sees a familiar figure perched upon what must have been a Dragon. It was hard to be sure, because its gigantic snout was pressed against his chest, ignoring his sword although it was just a speck before its might.

"Lífin?" The figure asks, leaning over the midnight black and shiny silver body of the creature.

"Kvetha... Koníka... Shur'tugal." He says, nearly begrudgingly. How unfair is it that _she _gets a Dragon.

"HellOH, Lífin. Whart arh ew duing her-uh?" she asks, and Lífin looks at her in confusion.

She clears her throat and switches to the Ancient Language. "I said, _hello Lífin, what are you doing here?_" Her accent was slightly off. It did not sound like how Lífin remembered, but that was to be expected.

"Oh. I am here because... Well, I suppose when I figured out that YOU were the Dragon Rider, I wanted to come and... Well, I don't know what I wanted to do. But Arya drottning let me, none the less," Lífin admits, shuffling back a little to get out of the Dragon's face. Its breath was not that nice smelling, either. "Also, what is the Dragon's name?"

He feels a sharp piercing feeling against his mind, and before he could react, the foreign presence was inside his head.

_I am Alíks, _the Dragon snorts, sending more putrid air in his direction.

"Indeed she is. Well, if that is the case, would you like to come with us to the castle?" Koníka asks, lowering herself off of Alíks.

"Yes, please." Lífin replies, sheathing his sword.

/

Lífin had been given a room after showing his note to the King, who insisted on being called Sindri. It did not really make a difference to Lífin, since he did not understand the majority of things being said, but he followed the orders anyway. While he was here, King Sindri was the boss, and he just had to accept that.

Koníka had been a lot nicer than usual, in fact, she had seemed nearly _happy _to see him, which surprised him. He wondered what would make her ever want to see him, since they had pretty much been enemies in Ellésmera. But, that had mostly been his fault. If he had not scorned her for her lack of skill with the sword, they may have even been friends. Once again, he tried to figure out why he had wanted to be here, but could not think of anything. Maybe he just wanted to be where the action was. Not that anything super important _had _happened yet, but he got the feeling something might happen, and that is what he is waiting for.

He sighs, strips down to his sleep attire and flops onto the cot. _Life is a strange thing... _he thinks, drifting off.

* * *

**Good evening/morning/afternoon/night! As I said, this chapter is subject to change, and that's about it. Reviews are appreciated, too. Thanks!**


	7. A Day In The New Life Of Lífin

**CHARACTERS*: **Lífin^, Alíks^, Koníka^, Línerl^

**[H] **Human**  
***Characters in _this _chapter.  
Original Character(s)

[Line]

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Línerl – **LEE-NER-EL

* * *

**DEFINITIONS**

**Blár-skular – **Black Scales / Obsidian Scales (Honorific for Alíks)

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter, sorry! I just wanted to get one out before I went on holiday for a while. Somewhere between 10-18 days. Sorry again!**

* * *

With their feet slapping against the cobbles, Koníka shows Lífin around Illirea, Alíks trailing behind. Many of the people in the area look on in unconcealed interest, but the foreign group ignore them. "And _this _is one of the many inns here. You would think that there would only be one or two, but there are scores of them, at least."

Alíks snorts disdainfully, saying, _it would be faster just to fly around._

"Alíks says that she thinks it would be faster to fly," Koníka says, turning to Lífin. "Would you like to?"

Lífin's face lights up. Never in his life had he thought that he would get to ride a Dragon. Never. He has to refrain from jumping up and down like an excited child before answering, "Yes! I mean... Yes, please."

Alíks finds his reaction suitable and crouches, allowing access to her back. Koníka climbs up first, then she drags Lífin up onto Alíks's back, shifting awkwardly as she realises that the saddle is a little too small for two people. Alíks crouches and wiggles, as usual before takeoff. Upon reaching the air, Lífin starts laughing like Línerl had when Koníka had flown the first time, except, Lífin was not laughing in a scornful manner, which Koníka appreciated. "That is- No, that- ALÍKS! SLOW DOWN. I CANNOT SHOW LÍFIN AROUND IF YOU ARE FLYING PAST EVERYTHING!"

Alíks snorts, saying, _Well. You two are the ones who wanted to fly; _she projected the message to both of the Elves upon her back.

"You were the one who suggested it!" Koníka retorts, and to her pleasant surprise, Alíks slows down. "Thank you. As I was saying that is..."

/

Lífin had enjoyed his tour greatly. It had been informative, but constantly interrupted by Koníka complaining about Alíks's flying. Somehow he got the impression that one of the two did not enjoy flying as much as the other, and he was pretty sure he knew who. Línerl had said that Queen Arya had wanted him to learn the common tongue, and the King had asked for him to be taught with Koníka, which, judging by her reaction would not be that much fun. He grimaces inwardly and starts the short walk to Koníka's quarters, where the lessons were taking place.

/

Knocking on the door, Lífin enters without waiting for a reply. Koníka was half-sitting, half-lying on the cot, reading a book. Línerl, on the other hand, sat in a chair by a small desk, looking rather annoyed. More than rather, actually.

"You're late."

"Am I? I apologise, ebithril." He says, wondering how the other Elf had been able to tell he was late. If he was late, it could not have been by that much.

Koníka snorts slightly, trying to hold back a bout of laughter that was threatening to escape her mouth. Luckily, it does not. Unluckily, Línerl notices the sound and turns. "Something funny, Koníka?"

"No, of course not."

Línerl turns back to Lífin and gestures to a seat beside him. "Let's get started then."

/


	8. Change In Plans

**CHARACTERS*: **Lífin^, Alíks^, Koníka^, Línerl^

**[H] **Human**  
***Characters in _this _chapter.  
Original Character(s)

* * *

**PRONUNCIATION**

**Koníka** – KOH – nee – kuh

**Alíks** – Uh-leeks

**Línerl – **LEE-NER-EL

[LINE]

**DEFINITIONS**

**Blár-skular – **Black Scales / Obsidian Scales (Honorific for Alíks)

* * *

**A/N: Again, I AM SO UNFORGIVABLY SORRY! It's been nearly two months or something, and seriously. I'm sorry. But the holidays are coming up and hopefully I should have time to write and stuff. The time I was away makes this chapter seem so much more realistic, what with the several month time skip. Read, review, and FORGIVE ME! I'M SORRY!**

**A/N 2: OH MY GOD. I AM AN IDIOT. I TRIED TO SWITCH THIS CHAPTER WITH MY APOLOGY, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. I SERIOUSLY FEE REALLY STUPID RIGHT NOW. Let's hope it works this time?**

* * *

Koníka stretches and yawns, climbing easily out of the cot. It had been several months since Arya had sent her to Illirea, and she was looking forward to going home. Unfortunately, there was not yet any word from her queen saying that she could return. Of course, it had become slightly more bearable to be away from her home with Lífin's arrival. He had made her lessons much more interesting as well. There had been several occasions during her language classes that she had laughed at him, and been punished by Línerl. Of course, the same goes for her lessons in swordsmanship. Except on those occasions it had been Lífin laughing, and Lífin being punished.

Also, Alíks had gotten much larger. With her enormous growth spurt, she had become even more insistent on flying. Because of this, Koníka was slightly more comfortable with it. But only slightly. She rubs her chin as she tries to remember what she had to do today.

_I believe that you were going to spar with Lífin and Línerl, _Alíks says, and Koníka feels her start flying around the castle through her mind. She smiles, knowing that there was nothing more fun than flying for the Midnight Dragon, as she was dubbed by the humans.

_I guess I should hurry up and get there, right? _She asks, changing into simple leather training gear. It consisted of a plain tunic, a leather vest, and leather pants.

_Probably, _Alíks replies.

Koníka makes her way towards the training grounds, where both Lífin and Línerl are waiting for her. "Good morning," Línerl says, rather exasperatedly. "It is about time you joined us."

"Oh yes, about that," Koníka says. She knew that she was late. It was a game that she played with him, and so far he had not caught on. She was always deliberately being a little later than usual each day. "I... overslept."

Lífin's mouth drops. He knows exactly what has been going on, and had no idea how his female counterpart was getting away with it. He quickly regains his composure, waiting to see how their teacher would react. To his complete surprise, he just shrugs. "Fine, let us get on with the training, then."

Lífin and Koníka draw their swords. They were nearly identical, apart from Koníka's blade longer and thinner, as well as the handle was a different shape. It fit her hand perfectly, much as Lífin's sword fit his own hand. They murmured the bubble spell that would protect their weapons from nicks and scratches, and then took their positions, waiting for Línerl to tell them to start.

"Begin," He says with a wave of his hand. Koníka did not wait for Lífin's move, as she might have eight months ago. Her training had taught her to always strike first, a habit that had been difficult for her to pick up. By nature, she was not the kind to fight without instigation, which often made duelling a difficult activity. She was not ignorant enough to aim for his supposedly open right flank, of course. She instead flicks the blade toward his left arm, which he did not expect. He quickly parries the blow and, using the momentum from the block, swings his own sword toward Koníka's right leg. She jumps the blade and swings down, leaving his weapon point down in the ground.

To any human observer, casual or no, the proceedings would appear as little more than a blur. Of course, to someone with trained eyes, such as Elís, who was sitting across the clearing, it was actually an intricate pattern of carefully planned attacks. "She has gotten better in the art of swords, it seems," She says to Alíks, who had decided to join her about a quarter of an hour ago.

_Indeed,_ the house-and-a-half-sized Dragon replies, snapping at an unlucky bird that happened to be flying past. Unfortunately, she missed and the bird got away. She growls, scaring the bird and its brethren away.

"You seem to be more interested in a late breakfast," Elís comments good naturedly, fiddling with a short weed in the ground.

_As a Dragon, I doubt I would ever need a sword. I do not believe I would be able to hold one, either, _she replies.

"I suppose. I hear those Rider swords are pretty nice, though,"

_As have I. unfortunately, the problem remains; I cannot grasp a blade._

"Hm, so I have been informed," Elís muses. "But I _do _wonder how those things are made. I mean, it is extremely interesting how Rhunön gets the sword the same colour as the scales of the Dragon... if you do not mind me saying, your scales would make a beautiful sword,"

_I agree. I would enjoy seeing a sword that mimicked my scales. T'would be threatening, indeed, _Alíks agrees, snorting loudly in arrogance.

"Hm. I am mostly sure that Rhunön swore to never create another sword, which is a shame..."

_I believe she found a way around that, did she not?_

"She may have. I do not know for certain,"

_That is surprising..._

Koníka glances toward the sky. The sun was fighting a losing battle against the heavy rain clouds, and it was getting toward dusk. It is breezy and the air is heavy, and small droplets of rain decided to join their short break. Slumped against the tree, Koníka watches the sky, trying to figure out if it was another bluff, or if the rain was going to stay this time. Soon, they would retire to their evening meal and spend an hour or so practising their common tongues. Her thoughts are interrupted by Alíks.

_Do you feel that?_

_Feel what?_ Koníka sits up. Now that Alíks had mentioned it, it felt almost as though someone had stuffed cloth between her ears. She could not feel the presence of anything around her, not even Lífin, even though she could see him. It was an unnerving feeling, but one that felt vaguely familiar.

_Like you cannot use your mind at all?_

_Yes, actually. I do not like it, _she replies, turning to Lífin, who raises an eyebrow at her. "Can you sense anything?"

"Actually... now that you mention it, no... not even you..." He admits, his face creasing into a worried frown. "Línerl? What about you?!" Koníka calls. She did not like this, and she was suddenly feeling very anxious. She looks behind her, only to remember that she was leaning against a tree. She did not like that either, it blocked her view from whatever was gnawing at the edge of her mind. She shifts across a little and takes another look. Elís and Alíks were over in the magic training clearing, and Elís was talking quietly to Alíks, probably about the mind blocking feeling also.

"What about me?!" He shouts, much sharper than he had intended. He had also felt the cloth feeling, and it was something that unnerved him.

"Can you sense anything?!" Koníka shouts back. Unable to sit still, she gets up and paces around. It was too familiar to push away. It was as if... no. Someone was not trying to gain access to her mind, apart from Alíks, who was having a rather difficult time doing it as it was. It seems that the smothering feeling was blocking others out as well. Also, it would have to be some huge bank of magical ability to attack four Elves and a Dragon at the same time, if not everyone in the area.

"No! 'Tis a strange feeling, to be sure!" Línerl shouts back. Koníka feels so agitated that she goes over and sits with Alíks protectively. She had felt this before, she was sure of that.

_Hey Alíks, have you felt this feeling before?_ She asks absently. It was obvious that the other Elves had not.

_Maybe... I think it feels familiar. Very vaguely, but I still recognise it, _Alíks replies uneasily. Or as uneasily as a Dragon _can _reply, anyway.

Koníka was about to reply, but suddenly the cloth feeling became so obvious it obliterated everything else in her mind. Quickly, she throws up a mental shield, which does little to stop the feeling. It subsides a little, but she does not dare open her mind back up, not even to Alíks. Realisation strikes her. She remembers a similar feeling from the night that Fírnen died and she had been forced to flee Ellésmera. "Curse it! I think that it may be the Black-Shadow!" She shouts suddenly. They had never actually come up with an official name for the unidentified being, but Alíks's head shoots up the whole length of her long neck and examines the area, alert.

Línerl is also suitably alarmed. In all of Illirea, Koníka was the only person who had been up close with said enemy, and she had not exaggerated events when she had explained to him and the King. "Are you sure?" He shouts, trotting to talk to Koníka at a closer range. He did not want to cause unnecessary alarm with the humans.

Lífin, for his part, was rather perplexed. He had heard about the Black Shadow of course, since it had been described during Fírnen's funeral, but apart from that, he knew nothing. He follows Línerl over to Koníka, to see if he could pick more from their conversation. "Yes, I am sure!" Koníka says extremely frustrated. Lífin does not blame her. He had heard how quickly Fírnen had died from this Shadow's hand, and he could see that she was obviously worried about Alíks.

Lífin goes to ask what exactly she was sure about, but then a deep echoed voiced penetrates the surrounding area. "I've heard there's a Dragon in these parts. You wonderful people wouldn't happen to know where, would you?" It asks. It was at the other side of the castle, he estimates. A quick glance toward Koníka makes his stomach sink. She has gone pale, and Línerl and Elís immediately take charge.

"Is that it?" Elís asks, and Koníka nods.

"Then go get your things and leave," Línerl says. "And take Lífin with you."

"But where are we _going_?! Arya said not to go back to Ellésmera!" Koníka asks panicking.

"Go to Tronjheim. Orik knows what has happened, and he with take you in, no doubt," Elís says. "Now go! Línerl and I will protect the king and handle things here!"

Lífin joins the conversation, very briefly. "But..."

"NOW!" Línerl hisses and both of the younger Elves run into the castle to get their things. Luckily, all of Lífin's things were in his pack, apart from his sword. But that was on his belt, so he did not worry. _Meet us at the west entrance, _Alíks's voice penetrates his mind, and he sends his acknowledgment back. He runs as fast as he possibly can to get there in time. He was still confused, but judging by Línerl's 'NOW', it was something that could be explained to him when it was safer.

Koníka was already sitting in Alíks's saddle when he got there, and he launched himself into the air, where Koníka grabbed him and dragged him down into the saddle. Without saying anything Alíks takes off in the air, flying nearly straight skywards. Koníka had strung her bow, and was leaning in the saddle, trying to find the Shadow. Because they were so high up in the around, the wind howled around them, forcing small and large droplets alike through their untreated woollen clothes. Lífin resented the fact that it made him like a shivering human child, but he dealt with it. There was only Koníka and Alíks to see him anyway.

Down below them, there is a huge black flash – if a flash can be described as black. Koníka, knowing exactly what it was without having to think about it, screams, "BRISINGR!" sending three bright white flaming arrows toward the Black Shadow in quick succession. Neither of the young Elves knew if the attack had been effective or not, but at Koníka's revealing of their position, Alíks sped up and flew higher. Of course, up higher it was even colder and more difficult to keep warm. After an undiscernible amount of time, Alíks warms them up by shooting a breath of white fire every once in a while, which envelopes them for a moment in graceful warmth. Both Elves are grateful for Alíks's concern.

"So, what is this Black-Shadow, anyway?" Lífin asks, shifting uncomfortably. Sure, there was a new saddle. That did not necessarily mean that it was comfortable having to sit upright for hours while sharing it.

"Well, I went to talk to Arya Drottning about a dream I had," She saw Lífin open his mouth, and quickly continues. "Then suddenly, this huge person like thing blasts through the wall. It was a bit taller than Arya, maybe? Well, it killed Fírnen by shooting a sabre of its flaming black shadow stuff out of its body, and then, no matter how hard she tried, Arya could not heal him. Then, when Arya confronted it with her sword – a Rider's sword, so it should cut through pretty much any wards – it did not do anything. It just left, leaving Arya and I with Fírnen..."

"Really?" Lífin asks in disbelief. It really was hard to believe that even their queen could not even make contact with this thing. He had a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something worse than what he had been expecting would happen at the castle. Not that he knew what to expect, apart from many needless deaths.

"Yes." Koníka replies. She was not exactly sure how she felt abandoning her hosts of the past eight or so months. It felt disloyal and wrong.

_Enough, _Alíks says. _This conversation can be saved until we get to Tronjheim, so save yourselves the discomfort by waiting until you are forced to speak about the events. Do you understand?_

"Yes, Alíks..." The two Elves murmur unhappily in unison.

* * *

**Hello, sorry about the wait again. Not much else to say, so review, please? ;)**


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